Combined hat mark and guard.



Patented lune Il, I90I.

J. S. WRIGHT.

COMBINED HAT MARK AND GUARD.

(Application med Jan. 9` 1901.)

(No Model.)

ews I UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SAMUEL VRIGIIT, OF BOARDMAN, NORTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED HAT MARK AND GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 676,293, dated June11, 1901.

Application filed January 9, 1901x Serial No. 42,687. (No model.)

To @ZZ wwm t may concern:-

Beit known thatLJAMns SAMUEL WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boardman, in the county of Columbus and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Hat Mark and Guard; and Ido hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenableothers skilled in the art -To which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The object is in a simple and positive manner to apprise a person of hismistake should he attempt to don ahat not his own.

With this object in view the invention consists, generally stated, in acombined hat mark and guard, the same comprising both tangible andvisual means of indicating the owner of a hat, and, furthermore, bytangible means, without reference to the visual means, to apprise thewearer whether or not the hat is his.

The invention consists,further,in the novel construction and combinationof parts of a combined hat mark and guard, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I haveexhibited one form of embodiment of my invention, it being understoodthat the salient ideas of 'invention may be carried into effect in otherways than that shown.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in sectional elevation of a hat, (inthis instance a derby,) showing the hat-mark in place therein. Fig. 2 isa view in plan exhibiting the device detached from the hat. Fig. 3 is adetached detail View of the lock or clasp carrying member of the device.Fig. A is a similar View of the lock-engaging member.

The combined hat mark and guard characterized by this inventioncomprises two parts A and A2, whereof the memberA constitutes thelock-carrying member and the member A2 the lock-engaging member. All ofthe parts of the device are by preference made of thin sheet metal,preferably of brass,which may be nickel-plated and suitably ornamentedto prevent the presentation of an unsightly attachment to a hat.

Each of the members fA and A2 is provided near one end with tangs a.,which may be integral with the members, as shown, or secured thereto,these tangs, as will be hereinafter described, being inserted throughthe sweat-band of the hat to keep the device in position. In lieu of thetangs the end portions of the members may be provided with openingsthrough which stitches may be passed, thus to sew the members to theband.

The member A carries a lock or clasp, comprising a plate CL2, eitherintegral with or secured to the membei-A, and a plate or cover a3,hinged to the plate a2, as shown in Fig. 3, the free side of the platea3 being Iianged or ovrturned,as at a, to interlock with the side of themember CL2, thereby to hold the two parts of the lock together. Theplate a2, near its point of juncture with the member A, is provided witha transverse slot a5, through which is passed the free end of the memberA2, thus leaving a length of the member A lying upon the plate a2. Bythis arrangement when the plate a3 is locked into engagement with theplate a2 the length of the member A under the plate as will be clampedsecurely in place against being drawn out or pushed in. Instead ofhaving the plates or lock members a? as held together by the ange a4other means may be employed-such as spring-catches, turn-buttons, or thelike--and as these Will be obvious illustration is deemed unnecessary.

Upon the surface of the member a3, which will be the outer one in use,will be attached a label bearing the name of the owner of the hat andany other descriptive matter desired, thereby presenting Visual means ofindicating the owner of the hat. Instead of having a label attached tothe plate a3,the descriptive matter may be engraved on the plate.

In the use of this device the ends of the members A A2 are securedinside theV hatband, as shown in Fig. l, either by passing the tan gsthrough the sweat-band and firmly clenching them there or by stitchingthe ends to the hat-band in the manner described. The members when thehat is in use are distended, as shown in full lines in Fig. l, so thatthe lock will be at the crown of the hat and free of the head of thewearer; but when the hat is taken olf the ange a4 of `the look isreleased from the plate a2, the members are IOO ' together.

i prising two members adapted to be secured to telescoped, so as tobring them down to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, and themembers of the lock are again brought Then the members of the device arein the position described, should a person attempt to don the hat thedevice will prevent the hat from sitting on the head, so that the personwould naturally remove it to ascertain the cause and attention would atonce be directed vto the label, as well as the device itself, thusshowing him that he has hold of the Wrong hat.

It is to be understood that this device is to be made of thin metal,preferably of a very lightweight, such as aluminium, which will not addany appreciable weight to the hat and will be constructed in such manneras to be exceedingly cheap and within the reach of every one.

Havingthns fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A combined hat mark and guard, coma hat on opposite sides of thecrown thereof and having a sliding connection with each other, andpositive locking means for holding said members in fixed `relativeposition, whereby said members may be caused to assume a position toobstruct the entrance of a head into the hat, or a position Within thecrown free of the head of the wearer, subv stantially as described.

thereof, and having a sliding connection with each other, and a lock orclasp rigidly secured to and carried by one member for holding themembers in Xed relative position, whereby said members may be caused toassume aposition to obstruct the entrance of a head into vthe hat, or aposition within the crown free of v each provided at one end with meansfor attachment to the sweat-band of the hat, alock carried by one of themembers comprising two plates hinged together, one plate having atransverse slot and the other plate being provided with means to hold itin locked engagement with the other, the transverse slot bep JAMESSAMUEL WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

E.' B. WRIGHT, D. W. MONAUGHTON.

